Outwitted (continued)

"Alright, I've accumulated enough points now, so I'll focus on finding supplies. I'm quite interested in that Military School Profound Armor, but I don't have any leads."

Murong Wu said, "Speaking of clues, I did find a picture on the waterfall just now, but I don't know what it means."

He pulled out a piece of paper about the size of a handkerchief, still damp with water. "This paper isn't afraid of water, and it even reflects sunlight, so I spotted it immediately."

Si Ming took the drawing and looked at it. In the middle of the drawing was a mountain, and on top of the mountain stood a large rooster with a golden comb.

"What riddle is this? Does it mean the treasure is hidden on the top of this mountain? The drawing of a chicken suggests that a flock of pheasants is raised on the mountaintop?"

Ying Zhou said, "Although I'm an amateur, I don't think the organizers would set the riddle so obviously. Otherwise, they'd be laughed at."

Si Ming scratched his head and said, "Then let's go around in circles. Does it mean that the shape of this mountain peak resembles a chicken, or that the mountain's name is related to chickens, and the golden comb indicates that the treasure is hidden at the top of the mountain?"

Murong Wu said, "This island is rarely visited, so it's impossible for anyone to be so idle as to name the mountains on it. As for a mountain that looks like a chicken... well, I can't imagine it."

"This won't work, that won't work... Forget it, let's just ask Yu Shuying. Let her solve this utterly boring puzzle."

"We can't let that World-Ending Mad Demon continue to be so arrogant. Otherwise, yesterday others were eliminated, today it could be you and me, and in the end, none of us here will escape!"

Standing on the rock, Fu Feng swung his fist forcefully with each sentence he spoke, as if this would make him more convincing. In front of him were dozens of contestants he had gathered under the pretext of "uniting to deal with Si Ming." Basically, half of the survivors were here, including Gu Xinglie and Gaoyang Wuji and their group.

From the crowd, the accomplice, who had been in cahoots, promptly asked, "Stop with the nonsense. Since we're all gathered here, we're all here to deal with this person. Just tell us what to do."

Fu Feng said, "It's simple. Since we can't beat him one-on-one, let's unite. No matter how powerful he is, with so many of us, even if he has Three Heads and Six Arms, we'll still be defeated."

Tuo then asked, "The moment they saw so many of us, they would have fled far away. Why would they come here to die? They're not stupid."

"This problem is also easy to solve. Based on the intelligence we've gathered and the analysis of the World-Ending Mad Demon's movement route, his next stop will be the Fifth District where we are now. Therefore, we only need to send two or four people as bait to pretend to fight in the dense forest and lure him into our trap. The rest of us should conceal our presence and lie in ambush in various corners of the forest. Once this fiend is in the encirclement, we can close the door and beat him to a pulp. He won't be able to escape."

The group looked at each other, discussing amongst themselves. Some thought the plan was too simple and easy to see through, while others thought simplicity was key to success. They were all a temporary team with little coordination, and the more complex the plan, the easier it was to make mistakes. However, no one suggested that it was unfair to use sheer numbers to overwhelm the enemy.

On the one hand, they all realized Si Ming's strength and believed that they should take action as soon as possible. On the other hand, those who insisted on a fair and square duel with a powerful enemy were excluded by Fu Feng from the beginning and were not brought into the team. Those gathered here now are people who are not so "rigid".

"Please be quiet, everyone. I know you all have doubts about this plan, and I can't guarantee its success. But I can guarantee that once the World-Ending Mad Demon appears, I will be at the forefront, without retreating a single step, and I will not harbor the idea of sacrificing my teammates to save myself, waiting for my teammates to do the work so I can reap the benefits at the end."

Fu Feng looked around and, seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, said, "I'm not just making this up. I imagine many of you have heard about my feud with this person. I won't deny that I planned this action to get revenge for myself. But the reason is irrelevant to you all; what matters is whether it benefits you. I hereby declare that I don't care whether I win the Martial King Cup or not. As long as this person is eliminated, I will be satisfied and have no other desires. I'm even willing to forfeit on the spot and give the bracelet to the person who has made the greatest contribution."

From the crowd, Tuo promptly retorted, "Since you've put it that way, then Laozi 'm all in too, I'll work alongside you!"

Several passionate individuals immediately agreed, and others, influenced by the atmosphere, nodded in agreement. Even those with differing opinions remained silent and did not voice their objections.

"Alright! Since everyone agrees, let's get started now to avoid missing the opportunity. The bait is quite dangerous, so I'll naturally take on the role. As for the remaining candidates, is anyone willing to volunteer? If not, we'll decide by drawing lots..."

Fu Feng had clearly planned this operation for a long time and was familiar with every detail. He arranged all the tasks in the fairest way possible, and no one complained. Every step was carried out in an orderly manner.

One hour later.

Why hasn't anyone arrived yet?

The group exchanged glances, then unanimously turned their gazes to Fu Feng.

Fu Feng thought for a moment and said, "The World-Ending Mad Demon is very confident and won't easily change his route. He might have run into an acquaintance on the way and been delayed. Let's wait a bit longer."

Two hours later.

The two men, who were acting as bait and pretending to fight, said, "If they don't come soon, I'll run out of True Qi."

Fu Feng also sensed something was amiss and said, "Let's send someone to scout out who's skilled in light-footed techniques. Have them search the fourth area. Remember, once you spot them, don't act rashly. Report back immediately. The World-Ending Mad Demon's light-footed skills are equally impressive. If he notices us, we might not be able to get back."

Four hours later.

"We can't find him in the fourth area. How could this be? It shouldn't be like this. Could it be that he really changed his route?"

Fu Feng was also starting to lose confidence. If they couldn't even find the person, what was the point of playing the "luring the enemy into the trap" game?

"Send more men. Everyone, search the surrounding areas. Once you find their location, immediately send a signal. Don't worry about being discovered; what we need to do now is to alert them."

Six hours later, the sun gradually set, and the sky turned a deep red.

"I've searched every area, but I can't find him anywhere? That shouldn't be the case. Could he be deliberately hiding?" Fu Feng scratched his head anxiously, clumps of hair falling out, but it still couldn't dispel the irritation in his heart.

At this point, someone finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward, saying, "What the hell is going on? We agreed to ambush someone, but we don't even know where they are. With this level of planning, you think you can lure them into a trap? I suggest you just wait for them to run into a tree and die. Then we can accomplish our goal without having to do anything."

"That's right, it's already dark, and I haven't accumulated enough points yet. There are only three and a half hours left until the end of the day, and I don't want to be eliminated because I haven't accumulated enough points."

Fu Feng quickly urged, "Please wait a little longer, we'll have news soon."

"What the hell am I waiting for! If I wait any longer, even if I defeat them, I won't have enough points to accumulate. What if I get eliminated before time runs out? I'd be so wronged! Goodbye!"

Fu Feng was about to try and persuade him when Gaoyang Wuji suddenly grabbed him and whispered, "Let him go, or we'll fall into their trap!"

Fu Feng was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "What plan?"

Have you read "The Three Kingdoms: Ghosts and Gods - Wei Kingdom Chapter"?

"Is this some newly published military treatise?"

"You regard Si Ming as an enemy, yet you haven't even investigated his intelligence properly. It's truly..."